Tanarus (video game)

Tanarus

Developer(s)| Verant Interactive
Publisher(s)| Sony Interactive Studios America
Designer(s)| John Smedley and Kevin McCann
Platform(s)| Windows
Release|

* NA: December 12, 1997[1]
* EU: 1998

Genre(s)| First-person shooter
Mode(s)| Multiplayer

Tanarus was a free 3D multiplayer online tank first-person shooter that was commercially released on December 12, 1997. It was developed under the direction of John Smedley at Verant Interactive and published by Sony Interactive Studios America. Originally titled Armorgeddon, Verant was forced to change the name when another game with that name was discovered. It was released in late 1997.[2] The game was included in Sony Online Entertainment's Station Exchange program in 2007, and shut down on June 10, 2010.[3]

## Contents

* 1 Gameplay
* 2 History
* 3 Reception
* 4 References
* 5 External links
* 6 Features
* 7 History
* 8 See also
* 9 References
* 10 External links

## Gameplay

Game arenas (also known as "maps") allowed up to four teams to play at the same time. Each team could contain up to five players.[4] Most of the arenas were created by the player community, although the maps had to be hosted by Sony Online, who would rotate the maps on a monthly basis.

Upon joining the arena, each player selected a tank to operate from the five models available. The tank would then be customized through the utilization of various weapons and support modules.[4] Numerous combinations could be used, contingent on what the player wished to do (capture other teams' flags or fight, for example). The player may have then switched tank models during the game by using one of their base's recon stations. Players saw the Tanarus world through the tank's gun turret.

There was no set objective in Tanarus, though the game presented various goals of team-based combat: Generally, to destroy the other colors' tanks, capture recon stations to provide a tactical or strategic advantage, and, finally, to capture another team's flag, bringing it back to their own base, thus destroying everyone on that team.[3]

## History

Tanarus was developed by Verant Interactive and publisherd by Sony Interactive Studios America. It was originally called Armorgeddon, but its name had to be changed due to another game being discovered with that name. It released in late 1997.[2] It was included as part of Sony Online Entertainment's Station Exchange program in 2007 before being shut down on June 10, 2010.

## Reception

Reception

| Review scores

Publication| Score
CGSP| [5]
CGW| [6]
GameRevolution| B[7]
GameSpot| 8/10[8]
Next Generation| [9]
PC Gamer (US)| 87%[10]

The game received favorable reviews. GameSpot's Chris Gregson concluded, "Some might think $9.95 per month is a little pricey for a single game - that's what Kesmai charges for all of its sundry online-only games on GameStorm, for example - but they need to remember that there's really no other game online like this one. And if it gets its hooks in you, you'll probably consider the price a bargain."[8]

Next Generation said, "While the graphics and sound have been kept to a minimum to reduce latency, they're by no means ugly, and with 3D acceleration, there are enough special effects to keep almost anyone happy. At $9.99 a month, Tanarus isn't the greatest value for everybody, but for those with the persistence and skill to become good at the game, it's worth the time and money."[9]

## References

1. ↑ PC Gamer staff (December 12, 1997). "Now Shipping". Imagine Media. Archived from the original on February 18, 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/19980218070342/http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news-1997-12-08.html. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 GameSpot staff (December 16, 1997). "Tanarus Is Loose [date mislabeled as "April 26, 2000""]. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121108074913/http://www.gamespot.com/news/tanarus-is-loose-2468353. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Tanarus - Delisted Games". 20 November 2019. https://delistedgames.com/tanarus/. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ogg (January 1998). "Sony Goes PC with Tanarus's Tank Mayhem". GamePro (IDG) (112): 38. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_102_January_1998/page/n37/mode/2up. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
5. ↑ Smith, Peter (February 17, 1998). "Tanarus". Strategy Plus, Inc.. Archived from the original on September 1, 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20030901193724/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/010/086/tanarus_review.html. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
6. ↑ Coffey, Robert (May 1998). "Scrap Iron (Tanarus Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (166): 151. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_166.pdf. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
7. ↑ Hubble, Calvin (January 1998). "Tanarus Review". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on June 13, 1998. https://web.archive.org/web/19980613214524/http://www.game-revolution.com/games/pc/action/tanarus.htm. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Gregson, Chris (January 23, 1998). "Tanarus Review [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000""]. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120203000855/http://www.gamespot.com/tanarus/reviews/tanarus-review-2533352/. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Tanarus". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (40): 109. April 1998. https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_40/page/n109/mode/2up. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
10. ↑ Saltzman, Marc (July 1998). "Tanarus". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 5 (7). Archived from the original on January 17, 2000. https://web.archive.org/web/20000117042233/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/137.html. Retrieved November 18, 2021.

## External links

* MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

## Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

## History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

## See also

* IGDB - game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/.
2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/.
3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1.
4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521.
8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media.
9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned.
10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner.
11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames.
12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games.
13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/.
14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/.
15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/.
16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/.
17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames.

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